Genetic information of an organism is transmitted through a series of processes referred to as “central dogma” in which the DNA information of a functional gene is transcribed into mRNA and a functional protein is synthesized via translation of mRNA information. As a result, a biofunction is expressed. Genomic DNA is an aggregate of genetic information formed via association of parent haploids. Also for plants, genomic DNA generally specifies the nature of cells containing the DNA and a plant derived from such cells.
For the purpose of inducing expression of the biofunction through transmission of functional genetic information of genomic DNA contained in cells in a correct manner, it is necessary to induce expression of an adequate gene with adequate timing at an adequate site and with an adequate intensity. Therefore, strict regulation of the expression of specific genes is required.
For the expression of a functional gene, the time, site, and intensity of expression are regulated by the gene expression regulatory DNA which presents in the 5′ upstream region of the gene.
In recent years, as a result of the deciphering of genomic DNA using Arabidopsis thaliana, rice, and the like, it has become possible to readily obtain gene expression regulatory DNAs of individual functional genes of such plants (Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2).
Meanwhile, genomic DNA of sugarcane, which is a readily available crop, has not been deciphered yet. Therefore, it is not easy to obtain gene expression regulatory DNAs of individual functional genes of sugarcane. Hitherto, for gene introduction into sugarcane, gene expression regulatory DNA from a non-sugarcane plant has been used to regulate expression of a transgene (Non-Patent Documents 3 and 4).
However, when functional gene expression is induced in sugarcane using gene expression regulatory DNA of a non-sugarcane plant, it is observed in some cases that the time, site, intensity, and other conditions of expression cannot be strictly regulated. Therefore, acquisition of sugarcane-derived gene expression regulatory DNA, and particularly, tissue-specific gene expression regulatory DNA, has been awaited in the related fields.